It’s time for tidbit Tuesdays again. Last week I got on my soapbox and talked a lot about receiving large hospital bills and what to do when one arrives. Today, I want to look at one of the ways you can avoid potentially being in that situation – and learn to take control of costs ahead of time.
What do I mean by due diligence ahead of time? It is important to ask lots of questions and to gather information before scheduling a procedure. Let’s take a client example. I have a client now that had gone to her doctor and had a mammogram. They discovered something and she now needed to have a biopsy done. The doctor’s office told her to go to the hospital and get the biopsy done. This particular client does not have health insurance. She has Medishare, which is not health insurance. What she typically does is inform them that she doesn’t have insurance and asks for the cash price, because remember, if you’ve been listening to any of my videos, you know that the cash pricing is always less.
So in this instance, she went to the hospital to get her biopsy scheduled, told them she did not have insurance, and they told her the cost for the biopsy was $10,000. She called around and found another place that would do it for $1,400. Not 10,000 – $1,400. That’s a reasonable price to have a biopsy done. Remember, that if your doctor is recommending procedures, do your due diligence ahead of time, since your doctor will not usually know the costs of the procedures.
It may seem like a pain to have to do this, but it is important to view your healthcare expenses in the same way you would any large purchase. Do your research, shop around, compare pricing and negotiate – like you would for a new car. When it comes to your healthcare, as a patient, you have a choice of where you want to have services done. It comes down to taking control of your own health. It’s a matter of being a partner in your healthcare with your doctor.
If you have any questions about your healthcare insurance needs and how to better take control of your healthcare costs, please book a conversation with me on my website; www.jkappconsulitng.com.
